Crème caramel: caramel sticks to the bottom of the ramekin... What to do? | RICARDO (2024)

FAQs

How do you stop creme caramel from sticking? ›

If the layer of caramel poured into a ramekin is too thick, it will not have time to completely melt during cooking. This is why caramel will stick to the bottom. My advice? Pour a thin layer of caramel into your ramekins and everything should turn out fine.

Caramel is sticky business, and if you're making candies, pouring it into an ungreased pan is a huge mistake. It will be difficult (or maybe impossible) to get out! Make life easier by lining your pan with parchment paper and coating it with a layer of baking spray to keep the candy from sticking.

Let the custards bake for approximately 35 to 40 minutes or until they are just set but still jiggle in the center (like in Step 2 of this Creme Brulee). If some are done before the others, remove them from the bain marie and transfer them to a cooling rack.

Boil. After making a batch of caramel sauce, caramel apples, fudge, toffee, peanut brittle, butterscotch, or any other stovetop candy, simply fill the dirty dish with water and bring it to a boil. By the time the water starts to bubble, it will have removed most of the hardened candy from around the sides of the pot.

Hot water. Anything with sugar in it will dissolve in time. Caramel is mostly sugar, so if you just fill it with warm water and let it sit, it'll either melt or get goopy enough that you can scrub it off easily. If you're not in a hurry, you could lick it.

- Use cooking spray in the pot, bowl, pan or any other dish you choose to melt the caramel in, to help prevent it from sticking. To get the most use out of your Peter's Caramel, store it in an airtight container in a cool dry place, just like how you would store your coating wafers.

Increasing reducing sugars will add to the flavor and color of caramel – but too much can cause excessive stickiness. Check the pH of premix, water and other ingredients, including scrap, to identify excessive inversion as the problem. Caramel premix should have a neutral pH (6.8-7.0).

If caramels are too hard, you can try placing them back in a saucepan, adding a couple tablespoons of water and stirring until the thermometer reads 242°F. Pour back into a prepared buttered pan. If caramels are too soft, that means the temperature didn't get high enough.

There's no mistaking when your caramel begins to burn. It looks blackish-brown, smells burnt and has swirls of rising smoke that sting your eyes. The caramel is a loss at this point—it will taste bitter and burned no matter what else you add. Uses: None, toss it.

How to stop caramel from catching? ›

You have to make sure to stir the caramel a lot to prevent it from catching and burning. I use a medium level of heat, and a larger pan so its easier to stir. You have to be careful as it obviously does get VERY hot, but it's worth it.

Increasing reducing sugars will add to the flavor and color of caramel – but too much can cause excessive stickiness. Check the pH of premix, water and other ingredients, including scrap, to identify excessive inversion as the problem. Caramel premix should have a neutral pH (6.8-7.0).

- Use cooking spray in the pot, bowl, pan or any other dish you choose to melt the caramel in, to help prevent it from sticking.

You can try cooking them a few degrees hotter if they are too soft. If the texture is good but they are too sticky, you an try more invert sugar and/or more butter.